Northwest Schools.

School Leaders Pitch Renovation

Barrington school leaders launched their sales pitch for a $69.9 million building referendum Wednesday at a small luncheon for community leaders.

With a controversial redistricting plan approved Monday, Barrington Unit District 220 moved on to 35 mostly supportive business and government heads gathered to see the renovation proposed for Barrington High School.

"This will be appropriately spectacular for our community," said Supt. Jon Lamberson, getting a laugh from the crowd who represent some of the wealthiest northwest suburban taxpayers who have voted down two tax hike requests.

The district hopes to spend $46.8 million on the high school and $21.6 million on seven elementary schools over a four-year renovation cycle. The district expects the tax-backed bond issue on the March ballot to raise school taxes less than 11.5 percent.

Lamberson and high school leaders used building tours to suggest the $46.8 million figure is conservative.

"Why not demolish and build a brand new (high school)?" Lamberson postured. "We could do that, for between $85 and $90 million. The Citizen's Advisory Committee recommended this option."

The room was electrified when Rotary President John Gillett asked if the entire school board supported the referendum. While the board, by state law, cannot campaign for passage of the ballot question, members assured Gillett that the group unanimously voted to accept the CAC's proposal.

The hardest group to win over will be the roughly 70 percent of District 220 taxpayers without school-age children, said district spokeswoman Debbie Villers.